EVENTS This Week—Skepticon, FTB/Skepchick Mashup SuperParty & MOAR!

Happy Friday, skeptics! This week, we’re going to do things a little differently because (a) I am barely emerging from my candy coma; (b) next Friday is too late to write about that weekend’s Skepticon awesomeness; and (c) I am going to Skepticon! And I’ll see you there, right? RIGHT?!

I’ll have a post up next week for the week ahead, but since Skepticon is huge and free and perhaps requiring a bit of planning if you need to travel, now is the time to talk about why you should go and the magical wonderland of skeptical atheist delight you will find upon your arrival. The event runs from Friday, November 9, through Sunday, November 11, at the Springfield Expo Center in Springfield, Missouri. You can get your golden ticket here, check out rideshares here, and roomshares here.
Plus, you can bring your kids! CampQuest Oklahoma will be in Springfield during the con to host a mini-day camp for kids 6-12.

You have no more excuses not to go. Sign up now. Do it.

Here’s a run-down of the schedule.

Friday, Nov. 9

Friday is full of workshops led by Jen McCreight, Julia Galef, Stephanie Zvan, PZ, JT Eberhard, the SCA, Matt Dillahunty, and more skeptical atheist leaders and experts on everything from discussions of applied rationality to activism, skeptical investing, and woo science detection. The workshops accommodate only 50 people and are first come, first served. See the full schedule here.

If you can’t make the workshops, there’s an all-day film fest in the auditorium as well as an opportunity to pack meals for a local non-profit that feeds the hungry, from 2:00-5:30 pm.

That evening, after shoving some food down our gullets, we’ll get a chance to hear talks by JT Eberhard and George Hrab, and although Greta Christina was originally scheduled to speak in person, as many of you know, she just kicked some cancer ass and is recovering from surgery. BUT she’ll be appearing through the magic of Skype (if she feels up to it), and you can start submitting questions for her here. (Read the latest about her situation on her blog.)

Friday night Skeptics in the Pub

The Springfield Freethinkers are having their Skeptics in the Pub meetup on Friday night, after the last of the Skepticon’s events for the day. All ages are welcome. But I recommend that you RSVP for this at the Meetup page so they have an idea of how big a crowd will be there.

Saturday Night FTB/Skepchick After-Hours Party—Public Event!

The Freethought Bloggers and the Skepchicks are getting together at the Farmer’s Gastropub on Saturday night. People will start arriving around 8:30, with some of us getting there closer to 10, after the last talks. Join Rebecca Watson, Surly Amy, Heina, and Teen Skepchicks Mindy, Kate, Elly, and Olivia, and more, plus PZ Myers, Jen McCreight, Matt Dillahunty, Ed Brayton, Stephanie Zvan, Brianne Bilyeu, and more from FTB. Last year, the FTB party drank ALL the beer, so the Gastropub is stocking up this year. All ages are welcome!

Plus, be sure to stop by the exhibitors’ tables all weekend to say hi to Surly Amy and Rebecca. Amy created a limited edition set of Surlies to help raise money for the con, so if you want a shot at one, find out more here.

How can all of this awesome be entirely free, you ask? Because of all the wonderful people and organizations who sponsor, donate, and volunteer. Find out what you can do to help here.

*Edit: Here’s another event that’s coming up the weekend after this one that you might want to plan ahead for:

Carl Sagan Day

Broward College in Coconut Creek, FL (near Ft. Lauderdale), is hosting an all-day event to celebrate Carl Sagan Day on Saturday, Nov. 10, featuring lots of activities and speakers, with James Randi giving the keynote. A “Dinner with the Stars” fundraiser will be held the night before. Get more info here.

Events for Nov. 2–Nov. 8

But whatever will you do with your time in the days leading up to Skepticon? After all, that copy of Halo 4 probably won’t be in your hands for at least four more days.

If you’re in an area affected by Hurricane Sandy, you might already have your hands full this week. Those in the NY area can find out more info about donating blood at the NY Blood Center site. No matter where you live, you can donate through the Foundation Beyond Belief’s Humanist Crisis Response program to help people in all areas affected by the storm, including the Caribbean and the States. And of course, the Red Cross can always use your help, in person and through donations.

With this in mind, some of the events below might be affected by the hurricane, so be sure to check with the hosting organization before showing up. Don’t see your area listed? Check out our events calendar, shoot us an email, or let me know in the comments what area you are interested in.

NORTHEAST

Cambridge, MA, Tonight!

Join the Harvard Humanists for a book release party, celebrating Chris Stedman’s Faitheist.

It’s Rhode Island Comic Con weekend! The con is at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence. Find out more info and how to register here.

Norfolk, VA, Mon., Nov. 5

Psychiatrist Andy Thomson is giving a free lecture on the psychology of religion at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.

SOUTHEAST

Tallahassee, FL, Sat., Nov. 3

As Rebecca posted earlier today, you can join her, Jessica Ahlquist, Aron Ra, Shelley Segal, Nate Phelps, Greydon Square, and more at Tom Brown Park tomorrow at noon for the Florida Secular Rally. The event is free, but you can also get VIP tickets for a better view of the action. Find out more here.

Asheville, NC, Tonight!

In the tradition of making Halloween last as long as possible (a tradition I wholeheartedly support), the Asheville Skeptics, WNC Humanists, and WNC Atheists are having a Halloween party at Lovejoys tonight. Kids are welcome!

Wilmington, NC, Sat., Nov. 3

The Humanists and Freethinkers of Cape Fear are having a flea market fundraiser on Saturday morning/early afternoon.

SOUTH-CENTRAL

Austin, TX, Sun., Nov. 4

The Atheist Community of Austin is hosting a free lecture by Steve Bratteng, “What’s Eating You! An exploration of the evolving world of parasites.”

SOUTHWEST

Mesa, AZ, Sat., Nov. 3

The Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix is hosting a town hall meeting, The State of Secularism in Arizona, with featured speaker Serah Blain (Secular Coalition for AZ) as well as Anjali Abraham (ACLU) and Theresa Ulmer (Planned Parenthood).

WEST

Borrego Springs, CA, Sun., Nov. 4

The Skeptics in the Jeep are exploring the Anza-Borrego mud caves on Sunday. Find out how to sign up here.

LA, CA, Sun., Nov. 4

This week’s CFI Feed Your Brain lecture is by Ophelia Benson on Secularism and Equality. Tickets are $8; $4 for students; free for CFI members.

Malibu, CA, Sun., Nov. 4

Join a bunch of humanists on a hike at Charmlee Park on Sunday. Find out more at the Humanist Hikers of Southern California Meetup page.

The Evolution of Comedy Tour, with Ian Harris, Jason Resler, and Maurice Northup, will be in Colorado Springs on Wednesday night. Click here for tickets and more info.

CANADA

Montreal, Tonight!

CFI Montreal is hosting a film night on the theme of religious indoctrination, featuring the documentaries Dispatch and Loosing. $10 admission, but free to CFI members. Click here to join and find out more.

Vancouver, Tonight!

Join CFI Vancouver for a screening of People v. the State of Illusion, with a keynote and discussion with the film’s writer and producer, Austin Vickers. Get your tickets here.

Vancouver, Sat., Nov. 3

It’s not too late to sign up for the Vancouver Skepticamp. If you’re not familiar with the Skepticamp setup, it’s basically an unconference, where participants are organizers and speakers (although you can attend without speaking—don’t freak out). The Vancouver event has been so successful that it’s in its sixth year.

UNITED KINGDOM

Join the Central London Humanists on Saturday for the Big Fun Run, where you can run for the charity of your choice, a pretty cool idea. See the list of charities here, and join the CLH Meetup group here.

Want to promote your skeptical, atheist, humanist, science, or just all-around geeky event or group on our events calendar? Click here to send us the details.

Melanie Mallon

Melanie is a freelance editor and writer who just moved to a small town outside Minneapolis with her husband and two young kids. When not counting how often the words "pride," "liberty," and "freedom" are used in local business, road, and pet names, she spends her time wrangling commas, making colon jokes, and raising her two kids to be critical thinkers. She is the managing editor of Skepchick Events, a Grounded Parents admin, and a Skepchick contributor. You can find her on Twitter as @MelMall, on Facebook, and on Google+

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The Skepchick Network is a collection of smart and often sarcastic blogs focused on science and critical thinking. The original site is Skepchick.org, founded by Rebecca Watson in 2005 to discuss women’s issues from a skeptical standpoint.